Online Journal of the Hudson Valley Coalition for Life.
"Every human being is called to solidarity in a world battling between life and death" - Ignacio Ellacuria, Jesuit martyr in El Salvador

July 27, 2011

July 24 was a very hot Sunday in New York City, but it did not deter the tens of thousands who came out across the state to voice opposition to New York's newest law. Pushed through by Governor Andrew Cuomo, the marriage "equality" law seeks to redefine marriage beyond the traditional and long-standing union of one man and one woman. Opponents say that the search by homosexuals for acceptance through marriage equality is seen, at its core, as biologically impossible and so an unreal notion, moral issues notwithstanding. Marriage is more than a word and same-sex "marriage" is more than an oxymoron; it poses a danger to the structure of society as we know it.

Maggie Gallagher (below) from the National Organization for Marriage www.nationformarriage.org prepares for an interview as marchers line up for blocks along New York City streets. Maggie has been a courageous voice of reason and education on the subject for years. Thank you, Maggie!

The men amd women who came out in the sweltering temperatures were peaceful but united in their message. The mostly Hispanic and African-American contingent gave voice to the fact that their majority voice was not sufficiently or honestly represented when the Governor pushed the same-sex "marriage" legislation through Albany's chambers for the benefit of the small, but powerful LGBTQ lobby. The "religious exemption" did not molify those who understandably doubt that a political promise to protect religious conscience objections would stand unchallenged or would not be trampled as surely as the basic institution of marriage was itself. This political panacea to silence objections is seen as nothing more than a temporary pacifier to achieve political ends because the "exemption" has already come under attack as "protected bigotry". The voters present this day in NYC and elsewhere say that the monies and promises that changed hands to change the minds of opponents to supporters of SSM will cause more than one politico to lose at the ballot box in November and in 2012.

Constituents walked the streets singing hymns and chanting "Let the people vote!" suggesting that a fair and true reading of opinion on this issue would confirm that only a small percentage of citizens of the State supported this radical change in the marriage law, with all its social repercusions.

The Rev. Isaias Rosario of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization is pictured above.

The rallies across the State including Albany, Buffalo and Rochester, were sponsored by several groups that included the National Organization for Marriage, the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, LetThePeopleVote.com, and several other religious denominations. One group noticeably absent were organizing representatives from the Catholic Church. Archbishop Timothy Dolan has blogged about his disappointment with the law at blog.archny.org/. Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz, the only Democrat Senator to vote against SSM, marched with the crowd and spoke after the large crowd walked peacefully from Third Avenue to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the U.N., the site of the rally.

Several media outlets like Channel 2, and Channel 11 (above) and the New York Times covered the event, but you had to look hard to find it covered in depth on-air or in print, other than on the Internet. The clock below at the start of the march marked the hour (3 p.m.) historically known in Christian religious circles as the hour Jesus died. Ironically, this was the hour chosen for the same-sex "marriage" ceremonies to begin.

The Hasidic community were strongly represented throughout. They are shown above at the rally site where they displayed several signs with calls to conscience and fiscal responsibility. The shofar (ram's horn) used in Jewish religious cememonies is seen below.

The New York City police were out in force and they were outstanding. The well-trained officers kept order and allowed the flow of pedestrian and car traffic. New York City's Finest efficiently cordoned off the very small, but hugely offensive and well-known "Westboro" representatives from the general rally's participants and organizers, who went out of their way to periodically announce that they were there to support traditional marriage and not denounce homosexuals.

If you go to the NOM website at www.nomblog.com/11797/ you will hear some of the rally speakers including Rev. Diaz and also Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown of NOM. Follow their arguments and efforts to overturn this blatant attempt to ignore the will of New York State voters. We need courageous educators on this issue. It's past time to understand and get involved folks!

July 25, 2011

The 10th Annual Celebration and Award Ceremony this year commemorating 91 years of women's voting rights will take place on Friday, August 12, at the Westchester County Board of Legislators Michaelian Building, 148 Martine Avenue (at Court Street), 8th floor, White Plains, NY 10601. Please bring photo ID for County building security check and seek long-term (3 hour) parking across the street at the metered gararge.

This year's keynote speaker will be Carol Crossed, Founder and President of The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams, Massachusetts. Carol, an exceptional woman in her own right, was the very first WEDR speaker. Carol will speak on Susan B. Anthony and the 19th Amendment.

The 2011 Woman of the Year honoree is outstanding business professional and youth educator Dr. Nanci Coppola, Executive Director of Program Reach and the Healthy Respect Program.

This year's theme, "Women of Vision; Women of Reality", will focus on the unique talents women brought to the historical fight for suffrage, and the daunting challenges confronting pro-life feminism today.

July 22, 2011

Sherlita AmlerDr. Sherlita Amler has been commissioner of health for Putnam County since 2004. In that capacity, she oversaw a department that dealt with the same issues she will focus on in her new job: public health, disease control, monitoring of restaurants and food vendors, and family health, among many other things.

"We did a nationwide search for a new health commissioner, but found the best person almost in our backyard," said Astorino. "This is a bonus because she knows the complexities of New York State law and most of the health services we provide are required by the state. In Dr. Amler, we will have a doctor-in-chief with a wide-range of expertise in public health issues and, in addition, is versed in emergency preparedness as it relates to Indian Point."

Astorino noted that under Dr. Amler's tenure, Putnam was rated first in "health outcomes" in New York in the 2011 survey from the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin.

Putnam County Executive Paul Eldridge said of Dr. Amler's Westchester appointment: "It is with mixed emotions that I received the news of Dr. Amler being selected as the Westchester County Commissioner of Health. On the one hand, I am extremely pleased and excited for her, but at the same time saddened that Putnam County will be losing such a talented, capable and caring individual as head of our Department of Health. Needless to say, she will be sorely missed, but it is also nice to know that she's right next door when we need to call on her for help and guidance."

Earlier in the day, Dr. Amler's appointment was confirmed by the county Board of Health.

"Rob Astorino and the Board of Health have given me the great privilege of leading the Department of Health," said Amler. "I look forward to joining this team and working creatively to ensure the conditions that make Westchester a healthy place to live, work and play.

Dr. Amler fills a position that has not had a permanent commissioner since Astorino took office. Dr. Cheryl Archbald, a deputy commissioner of Health, Division of Community Health, has been serving as acting commissioner and now will resume her previous duties and job title.

"I thank Dr. Archbald for the outstanding job she did running this important department," Astorino said.

Dr. Amler was first a registered nurse and then received her medical degree in 1996 from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She did her residency in pediatrics at Louisiana State University in New Orleans. She has special training in field epidemiology from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (for whom she worked from 2000-2004), all-hazard bioterrorism, radiation emergencies and public health. She also holds a master's degree in biology.

She is a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at New York Medical College's School of Medicine and a distinguished lecturer and senior fellow, Center for Disaster Medicine at New York Medical College's Institute of Public Health.

The Health Department works to promote public health, prevent the spread of disease and prolong healthy living for all Westchester residents. The department monitors health status to identify community health problems, diagnoses and investigates them and mobilizes community partnerships to find solutions. The department also enforces laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety, including the state and county sanitary codes and surveys and regulates air and water quality in Westchester. In addition, it funds programs that provide services to children with disabilities, ages zero to 5.

Its main office is located in New Rochelle, but it also has offices in White Plains, Yonkers, Port Chester and Mount Kisco. The department operates with a budget of $165.7 million, of which about half is funded through county tax dollars. More information on the myraid of services provided by the Health department is available on its Web site.

Tune in this Sunday, July 24th, at 7:00 PM to watch Fr. Benedict Groeschel's "Sunday Night Prime" television program on EWTN to learn more about "Adoption and Safe Havens" which are two very important, pro-life choices that provide desperate women with life-saving alternatives for unplanned unborn and newborn infants.

Damon Owens, Executive Director of The Children First Foundation, also explains the importance of the "Choose Life" License Plate and how adoption has touched his heart and his family forever.

This moving EWTN program will rerun on Monday morning, July 25th from 9 - 10 AM, and again on Saturday afternoon, July 30th from 2 - 3 PM. Be sure to watch it and please tell all your family and friends to watch as well. This EWTN show will help save babies' lives.

To order a NJ "Choose Life" plate, simply call 1-888-NJChoose-Life (1-888-652-4667) or go online to www.NJChoose-Life.org.

July 15, 2011

... five speakers made clear that our pro-life conviction is absolutely non-negotiable, and warned Enda Kenny’s coalition government to keep their election promise not to legalise abortion. Buses had brought pro-lifers from 17 starting points across the whole island of Ireland.

Judge Pauley, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, concluded the law violates free speech saying the law’s “over-expansiveness is evident from its very language.” He was especially critical of the City’s desire to single-out crisis pregnancy centers with the new law.

“Defendants’ second argument–that Plaintiffs engage in commercial speech because they are provided an audience to whom they can espouse their beliefs–is particularly offensive to free speech principles,” the court declared. “While Defendants apparently regard an assembly of people as an economic commodity, this Court does not. Under such a view, flyers for political rallies, religious literature promoting church attendance, or similar forms of expression would constitute commercial speech merely because they assemble listeners for the speaker.”

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The ACLJ represents EMC Frontline Pregnancy Centers and AAA Pregnancy Problems Center which operate a total of 13 crisis pregnancy centers across New York City. The pro-life legal group filed the lawsuit today on their behalf in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

July 03, 2011

On this Independence Day weekend it is good to remember that the Hudson Valley Coalition for Life and its publication LifeNet are fundamentally concerned with all issues that impact life and the good of society. The recent vote in Albany for same-sex "marriage" is an example of why we must continue to voice the truth about individual cases or institutions - like marriage - that are being redefined for political power under a consistently deformed definition of equality. Just as we saw the use of verbal engineering to legalize the horrors of abortion and the death now of over 50 million children in the womb under the false banner of "privacy" and "women's right to choose," we now see reality once again twisted in the push across the land for same-sex "marriage". While we are confident that truth will win out, we must speak that truth with courage, and speak it often in a public arena that increasingly seeks to silence opponents in ways that should frighten anyone who is a student of history. We know you will continue to fight and work to correct this ongoing attempt to unravel the hard-fought-for-threads of unity and true freedom and equality under God in America. Co-director Judith Anderson's letter on the topic is printed for you here.

To the Editor

If anyone had doubts, the emotional march to religious repression is here and the Cuomo ink has not yet dried on his misguided signature piece of legislation that redefines marriage for New York State.

A "marriage equality" law alters the foundational element of society now in six states to appease only a partial element of the 3% of the country's population that is self-identified homosexual. Marriage between one man and one woman, the traditional institution that actually gives all persons their true identity before God - we all have a biological mother; we all have a biological father - was trampled. Its purpose through the ages, the betterment of society and the procreation and protection of all children, deemed insignificant.

Some of my friends would have me believe that the vote in Albany is no big deal, and that society and its children will somehow benefit from this self-centered, morally confused, adult reinvention of reality; another anlienating step along the path destroying the family.

But the "religious exemption" buy-off is already causing some same-sex winners to feel badly about themselves, according to TIME's Howard Chua-Eoan's June 26 piece, "The Bittersweet Victory: Why Gay Marriage Still Isn't Marriage". "Why can some people have all the bells and whistles in the church of their choice but not me?" says Howard, who vows to continue to mark in parades and sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

If this is where the rainbow leads, stay home. That is, after all, where there is no place like.